Recording pill dispenser



Nov. 11, 1969 M. EsPlNAl. 3,477,561

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United States Patent O 3,477,561 RECORDING PILL DISPENSER MartinEspinal, 5529 Marconi Ave., Carmichael, Calif. 95608 Filed June 26,1968, Ser. No. 740,253 Int. Cl. B65tl 83/04; G07f 11/00; G01f 11 /26U.S. Cl 206--42 '10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cylindrical pilldispenser container having a pill dispensing opening normally closed bya vertically reciproeating closure is disclosed. The closure is movedvertically by a rotating cam band having means indicative of the lastprevious time or event when the dispenser was opened.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates generally to dispensing containers and more particularly torecording dispensing containers in which a successive indication isgiven each time the container is opend for dispensing a pill.

Description of the prior art Devices are known in the prior art whichpermit opening of pill dispensers only upon the happening of apredetermined event and other devices which record the opening of thepill dispenser. Such devices are described in U.S. Patents 3,151,599issued to Livingston on Oct. 6, 1964; 3,206,064 issued to Cantu et al.on Sept. 14, 1965; 3,261,455 issued to Gayle et al. on July 19, 1966;and 3,278,010 issued to Katz on Oct. 11, 1966. The present invention isan improvement in dispensers of this type and more specifically is animprovement over my Patent 3,355,067 issued Nov. 28, 1967.

SUMMARY This invention relates to a pill dispenser which has acylindrical container having a dispensing opening at the top thereofwhich is closed by a vertically reciprocating closure and which is movedinto open position by a rotatable cam band. Means are provided on theband for recording the last time that pills were dispensed from thecontainer.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a pill dispenser whichwill record the time of the dispensing of the pills.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pill dispensingcontainer of the type described above `which is inexpensive tomanufacture, simple to assemble and use, and which is provided with alatch for preventing access to the pills by a child.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in light of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of theinvention shown in closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-section taken along line 2--2 of FIGURE 1looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 with the dispenser in opendispensing condition;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross-section taken along the line 4-4 ofFIGURE 3 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the invention with the top cap andretainer washer removed and the shaft shown in section.

3,477,561 Patented Nov. 1l, 1969 "Ice DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein likereference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures,the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a dispensing containerconstructed in `accordance with the invention.

The dispensing container 10 includes a general cylindrical hollow body11 having a top wall 12 extending thereacross. A cylindrical guidesleeve 13 is integrally formed with the top wall 12 and dependstherefrom in coaxial relation to the body 11. A generally circular cap14 is pressed onto the lower end of the body 11 as can be clearly seenin FIGURES 2 and 3.

An outwardly extending annular shoulder 15 is formed on the outer faceof the body 11 adjacent to but spaced from the bottom edge thereof.

A cylinder 16 is mounted on the cylindrical body 11 and is arranged foraxial sliding movement thereon as well as a slight rotational movementwith respect thereto. The cylinder 16 has an integral circular top wall17 with an upstanding ring 18 integrally formed thereon `and axiallyarranged with respect to the cylinder 16. A cap 19 is pressed onto thering 18 as can be best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3.

A combination pointer and cam tooth 20 is integrally formed on the loweredge of the cylinder 16 in depending relation thereto and is providedwith an indicator point 21 at the lower end thereof.

A dispensing aperture 22 is formed in the sidewall of the cylinder 16adjacent the top wall 12 and has an arcuate pouring spout 23 arranged inunderlying relation thereto and integrally connected to the cylinder 16.The top wall 12 of the cylindrical body 11 has a dispensing aperture 24formed therein for reasons to be assigned.

A cam ring 25 is positioned about the cylindrical body 11 in engagementwith the shoulder 15 and is arranged for rotation on the cylindricalbody 11. The cam ring 25 has a diameter equal to the diameter of thecylinder 16 and is arranged to engage the point 21 of the tooth 20. Aplurality of cam surfaces 26 are formed on the upper edge of the camring 25 terminating at their upper edges in notches 27 as can be clearlyseen in FIGURE 1.

A retainer shaft 28 extends through the guide sleeve 13 for verticalreciprocating motion therein and has its upper end provided with datsides at 28 extending through an opening of the same shape in the centerof the top wall 17 terminating within the ring 18 under the cap 19. Theflat sides 28 and the same shaped opening in the top wall 17 preventrelative rotation of the top wall 17 and the shaft 28. The upper end ofthe retainer shaft 28 has an annular groove 29 formed therein to receivea bifurcated retainer washer 30 preventing the cylinder 16 from beingdetached from the retainer shaft 28. A relatively thick disc 31 isintegrally formed on the lower end of the retainer shaft 28 and has adiameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindricalbody 11. A guide bar 32 is integrally formed on the inner surface of thecylindrical body 11 and extends upwardly from the bottom thereof at aslight angle to the vertical. A notch 33, formed in the peripheral edgeof the disc 31, engages over the guide bar 32 so that the disc 31 isprevented from free rotation by the guide bar 32. A stop S is integrallyformed on the upper end of the guide bar 32 in a position to engage andlimit upward movement of the disc 31. A double bevel B is formed on oneedge of the disc 31 for reasons to be assigned.

A U-shaped cut 34 in the side wall of the cylindrical body 11 adjacentto but spaced from the bottom thereof delineates a latch-tongue 35 whichis integral with the cylindrical body 11 but is resiliently disposedwith respect thereto. The latch tongue 35 has an inwardly projectingange 36 with a triangular keeper member 37 formed ti ereon. An arm 38depends from the disc 31 and has a triangular keeper member 39integrally formed thereon for cooperative engagement with the keepermember 37 as can be seen in FIGURE 2.

A handle H is formed on the arm 38 to grip when removing the disc 31from the cylindrical body 11. Inward press-ure on the latch tongue 35moves the keeper member 37 inwardly out of alignment with the keepermember 39 so that the disc 31, as well as the cylinder 16, may moveupwardly with respect to the cylindrical body 11. In assembling anddisassembling the pill dispenser the cap 19 retainer washer 30 and cap14 are removed and the disc 31 is pulled downwardly in the body 11. Thedouble bevel B cams the keeper 38 out of the path of the disc 31 whenmoving in either direction.

Upon pressing the tongue 35 inwardly with one hand and simultaneouslyrotating the cam ring with the other hand the cylinder 16 is forcedupwardly on the cylindrical body 11 moving the upper wall 17 out of theposition shown in FIGURE 2, where it closes the aperture 24, into theposition shown in FIGURE 3, where the aperture 24 is opened andgenerally aligned with the aperture 2. In this position the point 21 ofthe tooth 20 is engaged in the notch 27 and the pill dispenser 10 istilted to feed pills through the apertures 24, 22 into the hand of theuser. After suflicient pills for the required dose have been dispensedfrom the pill dispenser l0, the cam ring is turned an additional amountto disengage the point 21 of the tooth 20 from the notch 27 permittingit to drop to the position shown in FIGURE 1 thus closing the aperture24 and the aperture 22 simultaneously engaging the keeper member 32 withthe keeper member 37 latching the cylinder 16 to the cylindrical ybody11 to prevent sliding motion therebetween.

As the disc 31 drops to close the pill dispenser the triangular keeper39 cams the keeper 39 inwardly to permit the keepers 37, 39 to pass eachother and then latch together as shown in FIGURE 2. the disc 31 isrelatively thick to provide suicient weight to cause it to drop toclosed position as the cam ring 25 is turned to closed position.

While not essential to the invention, it is preferable that thedispenser be constructed of a transparent plastic material such as thepolyacrylic resins, the polystyrene resins, or an equivalent resinousmaterial.

The construction of the instant invention requiring both the rotation ofthe cam ring while simultaneously holding the latch tongue depressedrequires a dexterity and an understanding of the mechanism generallybeyond the capability of young children but which can be easily operatedby older children and adults when needed.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, itshould be understood that numerous structural modifications andadaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. A recording pill dispenser comprising a cylindrical. body, a top wallclosing the upper end of said body and having a pill dispensing apertureformed therein, a cylinder encompassing said body and mounted forsubstantially vertical sliding action thereon, said cylinder having apill dispensing aperture in the side wall thereof adjacent the upper endthereof, a top wall closing the upper end of said cylinder, saidcylinder top wall closing the pill dispensing aperture in said body topwall in one position, means including a retainer shaft keyed to saidcylinder to prevent relative rotation betwen said cylinder and saidshaft securing said cylinder to said body, and rotatable means on saidcylindrical body engaging said cylinder for moving said cylindervertically to uncover the pill dispensing aperture in said body top wallupon rotation of said rotatable means.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein a depending tooth isintegrally formed on said cylinder and said rotatable means includes aplurality of cam surfaces adapted to engage said tooth to move saidtooth and said cylinder vertically upon rotation of said rotatablemeans.

3. The invention as claimed in claim 1 wherein a resilient latch isintegrally formed on said cylindrical body for latching engagement withthe means securing said cylinder to said body to normally secure saidcylinder in its lowermost position with respect to said cylindrical bodywith the dispensing aperture in the top Wall of said cylindrical bodyclosed.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein a pouring spout isintegrally formed on said cylinder in underlying relation to the pilldispensing aperture in the side wall thereof.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cylindrical bodyis provided with a removable bottom closure.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means securing saidcylinder to said body includes a guide sleeve integrally formed on thetop wall of said body and depending therefrom, said retainer shaft eX-tending vertically through said guide sleeve for sliding movementtherein, a disc integrally formed on the lower end of said retainershaft, and means detachably securing the upper end of said retainershaft to the top wall of said cylinder.

7. The invention as claimed in claim 6 wherein a resilient latch isintegrally formed on said body and means are provided on said disc forlatching engagement with said resilient latch to secure said cylinder inits lowermost position with respect to said cylindrical body with thetop wall of said cylinder closing the dispensing opening in the top wallof said cylindrical body.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein a substantiallyvertically extending guide bar is integrally formed on said cylindricalbody on the inner surface thereof and said disc is provided with a notchfor engagement with said guide bar to restrict the rotational movementof said cylinder with respect to said cylindrical body.

9. The invention as set forth in claim 8 wherein a stop is formed on theupper end of said guide bar for engagement with said disc to limit theupward travel of said disc and said cylinder with respect to saidcylindrical body.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein a shoulder isintegrally formed on said cylindrical body for engagement with the loweredge of said rotatable means for supporting said rotatable means on saidcylindrical body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,064,624 11/ 1962 Hechtle 40l-110 3,355,067 ll/ 1967 Espinal 206-42 FOREIGN PATENTS 72,009 10/ 1959France.

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

